Prep
Gear, bait and rigs for the three fish — and a pack list matched to the day you're going.
Pack list builder
Choke Canyon Reservoir · Wednesday, Nov 18
Blue catfish Fair
Front passing — fish get finicky.
Always
Blue catfish
Bank
For this day's conditions
Tackle boxes
Bluegill
- Cane pole or 5–6 ft ultralight spinning combo
- 4 lb line
- #6–#10 long-shank thin-wire hooks
- Small split shot
- Small round bobbers
- Worms or crickets
- Stringer or small cooler
- Ultralight rod with a smooth reel, 2–4 lb line
- 1/32 and 1/64 oz jigs in black and chartreuse
- Slip bobbers and bobber stops
- Tiny inline spinners
- Cricket box and worm bedding
- Polarized glasses to spot beds
- Cane pole, line tied to the tip
- One split shot, one hook, one cork
- A coffee can of worms from the garden
- Patience at the edge of the weeds
Crappie
- 6–7 ft light spinning combo, 4–6 lb line
- 1/16 oz jig heads with plastic grubs/tubes
- Minnow hooks (#2–#4 light wire) and split shot
- Slip bobbers and stops
- Minnow bucket with aerator
- 10-inch measuring board (statewide minimum)
- 10–12 ft jig pole for vertical jigging brush
- Sensitive 6–7 ft rod for docks
- Jigs 1/32–1/8 oz in several colors
- Electronics to find brush and suspended fish
- Marker buoys
- Lights for summer night fishing
- A long jig pole and a pocket of tube jigs
- A sack of minnows
- Bridge pilings and a thermos of coffee
Blue catfish
- 7 ft medium-heavy rod with a strong reel
- 30–50 lb line (TPWD's range for big blues)
- Circle hooks 2/0–7/0
- Egg and bell sinkers, swivels
- Rod holder or sand spike
- Fresh cut shad
- Two or more 7–8 ft catfish rods with baitcasting reels
- Santee rig floats and three-way swivels
- Drift socks to slow the boat
- Cast net for gizzard and threadfin shad
- Anchor with plenty of rope, or spot-lock trolling motor
- Big landing net and a gripper
- A stout rod, heavy line and a big hook
- Shad kept on ice
- A sinker heavy enough to hold in current
- The patience to let the rod load
Hook sizes and line weights follow TPWD and Missouri Dept. of Conservation guidance on the species pages.
Bait prep
Throwing a cast net
Hold the horn line, drape about a third of the net over your arm, pinch one lead weight in your other hand, then turn and release in one smooth swing so it opens round. Work shallow banks at first light, where shad push bait.
Keeping shad alive
Shad die quickly in hot, crowded or stale water. Use a round, aerated tank, keep only what you need, and keep the water cool. Dead shad still make good cut bait — keep them on ice, not in water.
Cut bait vs. fresh
Fresh-cut shad leaves the strongest scent trail. Cut steaks or strips right before you fish; keep the rest iced. Freeze extra in small bags for the next trip.
Keeping minnows
Use an aerated bucket and change water before it warms or clouds. Don't crowd them. Remember the drain law: bait water can't leave a lake unless you bought the bait and have a receipt.
Crickets and worms
Crickets keep in a ventilated cricket box with something to climb on and a bit of food. Worms stay lively cool and damp in bedding — never in a hot truck.
Dip and punch baits
Store-bought dip and punch baits catch channel cats more than blue cats. Blues are fish eaters — shad is the bait that matters.
Rig shop
Slip bobber rig
For: crappie and bluegill over brush at an exact depth.
- Slide a bobber stop and bead onto the main line.
- Thread on the slip bobber.
- Tie on a light-wire hook; add a split shot 12–18 in above it.
- Slide the stop so bait sits just above the brush.
Bluegill bobber rig
For: bluegill around weeds, docks and beds.
- Clip a small bobber 2–4 ft above the hook.
- Pinch on one small split shot halfway down.
- Bait a #8–#10 hook with a bit of worm or a cricket.
- Cast past the bed and ease it back.
Double jig crappie rig
For: crappie when you don't know the depth yet.
- Tie a dropper loop 18–24 in above the end of the line.
- Put one jig on the loop and one on the end.
- Fish them vertically through brush or troll them slowly.
Santee Cooper rig
For: drifting blue cats over flats.
- Slide an egg sinker onto the main line, then tie on a swivel.
- Tie on an 18–30 in leader.
- Add a peg float a few inches above a circle hook.
- Bait with cut shad and drift slowly.
Drift rig (three-way)
For: blue cats on flats 15–25 ft deep, drifting about ½ mph.
- Tie the main line to a three-way swivel.
- Short dropper to a bell or slinky weight (MDC used 4 oz).
- About 3 ft of leader to a 2/0 circle hook with cut shad.
- Let the rod load before you reel — circle hooks set themselves.
Knots
Improved clinch knot
Thread the line through the eye, wrap the tag end around the standing line 5–7 times, pass it back through the small loop by the eye, then through the big loop you just made. Wet it and pull tight.
Palomar knot
Double about 6 in of line and push the loop through the eye. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line, pass the hook through the loop, wet and pull tight.
Uni knot
Run the line through the eye and lay the tag back along the standing line to form a loop. Wrap the tag through the loop 5–6 times, wet, pull the tag to snug, then slide the knot down to the eye.
Dropper loop
Make a loop in the line, twist one side around the other 6–8 times, push the middle of the loop through the center twist, wet and pull both ends. Use it for the top jig of a double rig.
Gear care
Line. Respool when line gets kinky, faded or nicked. Run it through your fingers after a snag and cut off the rough part.
Hooks. Check points on your thumbnail — a sharp hook catches, a dull one skates. Touch up with a file or replace.
Rods and reels. Rinse after a trip, dry before storing, and back off the drag so the washers don't flatten.
Electronics. Brush piles show as clumps rising off the bottom; crappie show as arches or specks over them. Mark the good ones.
Rod holders and spider rigs. Spider rigging spreads many long rods ahead of the boat — keep baits just above the fish and move slowly.
Fish care
Livewell or ice. Keep fish alive in an aerated livewell, or put kept fish straight on ice. Fish left in warm water spoil fast.
Bleeding catfish. Many anglers cut a gill or the tail of a kept catfish and let it bleed in ice water for cleaner fillets.
Cleaning kit. Sharp fillet knife, cut-resistant glove, catfish skinner or pliers, cleaning board, zip bags and plenty of ice.
Big blues. Hold fish over 5 lb horizontally with two hands; trophy blues can be 20 years old. Release the big ones.
Safety & legal
- Life jackets: One wearable life jacket for each person on board; kids should wear theirs. Clip on the kill switch.
- Lightning: When you hear thunder, get off the water. Fronts bring storms fast.
- Sun and heat: Hat, long sleeves, sunscreen and plenty of water in summer.
- License: Fishing license with a freshwater endorsement (not needed under 17 or on Free Fishing Day).
- Limits: Check the lake page for its catfish and crappie rules before you keep fish.
- Drain law: Drain the boat, livewell, bilge and bait buckets before leaving the lake.
- Advisories: Check DSHS eat-safe advisories on the lake page before keeping fish to eat.
Printable checklists, rig cards and knot cards →